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GREEKS TAKE SMYRNA
On May 15, 1919, twenty thousand Greek soldiers landed in Smyrna and took control of the city and its surroundings under cover of the Greek, French, and British navies. Legal justifications for the landings was found in the Armistice of Mudros, which allowed the Allies "to occupy any strategic points in the event of any situation arising which threatens the security of Allies." This instigated the hatred and ongoing conflict between the Greeks and Turks. -
START OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
Ataturk landed at the black sea port in Samsun to put down any nationalist militias but instead resigns from the Ottoman Army and initiates the War of Independence against the Allies. -
CHAIRMAN OF ERZURUM CONGRESS
He convened the Congress of Erzurum from 23 July to 4 August 1919 in the city of Erzurum in order to form new nationalistic effort. It was an assembly of Turkish Revolutionaries. -
BRITISH TAKE ISTANBUL
The British declared their occupation of Istanbul. The Allies gave assurances that they had no intention of taking over the government. The Allies persuaded the Ottoman government to denounce the Turkish nationalists and sent many into exile. This furthered nationalistic efforts to gain independence of the Allies and Sultanate. -
PRESIDENT OF THE GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Ataturk was inaugurated as the president of the Grand National Assembly, an assembly that is given legislative powers by the Turkish Constitution. It was convened in Ankara. The members were elected representatives that were present in the Ottoman Parliament in Istanbul before British occupation. Ataturk successfully moved a large amount of political power away from Istanbul and British control. -
ATATURK WANTED
Ataturk was condemned to death by the Ottoman Government in Istanbul for resigned from the Ottoman Army as the inspector of the Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate (who reorganize what remained of the Ottoman military units and to improve internal security) on the 8th of July. -
TREATY OF SÈVRES
The Treaty of Sèvres was a peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies signed by the Ottoman Sultan at the Paris Peace Settlement at the end of World War 1. The treaty reduced the size of the Ottoman Empire to a small area of Anatolia. This especially weakened the Turkish people’s liking of the Sultan, giving the people a reason to support Ataturk and his actions. -
BATTLE OF SAKARYA
A battle between the Greeks and the Turks that lasted approximately 4 weeks. The Turks, led by Ataturk, were victorious. Ataturk was awarded the rank of Field Marshal of the Army by the Grand National Assembly, in addition to the title of Gazi (as the savior of the Turkish nation). -
TREATY OF KARS
The Treaty of Kars was a friendship treaty between the Soviets and the Grand National Assembly that frightened the British. -
BATTLE OF DUMLUPINAR
The Battle of Dumlupınar was the last battle in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) (part of the Turkish War of Independence). The battle lasted 4 days and resulted with total Greek loss, ending all Greek hope of imposing settlements in Turkey. -
NATIONALISTS ENTERS IZMIR
The nationalists, lead by political and military leader Ataturk, gain victory and enter their territory previously occupied by the Greeks. -
ARMISTICE OF MUDANYA
The Armistice of Mudanya was signed by Turkey, Italy, France, Great Britain, and later (on the 14th) Greece. Victory over the Allies in the War of Independence enabled Ataturk to secure revision of the peace settlement in the Treaty of Lausanne. -
GOODBYE SULTANATE
The Grand National Assembly voted for the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate. After this act, the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist. The Grand National Assembly, the new government, no longer recognized the Treaty of Sèvres. -
TREATY OF LAUSANNE
The Treaty of Lausanne was signed in Lausanne, Switzerland, officially ending the state of war that had existed between Turkey and the Allied British Empire, French Republic, Kingdom of Italy, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Greece, Kingdom of Romania, and Serb-Croat-Slovene State since the onset of World War I. The Treaty of Lausanne ended the conflict and defined the borders of the modern Turkish state except for its border with Iraq. -
WELCOME TO THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed in the new Turkish capital Ankara. Ataturk was elected as the first president.
